AMERICANS! I NEED YOU!!!

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

Okay, serious point now guys. I need answers. Does anybody in America ever use the term 'hoofers' when describing feet?

Actually, I'd be interested to know if anyone other than me ever uses that term. 

Guys. 

GUYS. 

WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PLOT POINT IN MY NEXT FIC!

And, if not, I need a derogatory term for feet commonly used in America. Okay? Thanks. :D

(Posting on b_c too because it's totally relevant, and, as im_ridiculous said, I need a more legitimate sample size for my survey. WISE WORDS.)

Comments

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

The only way I've ever seen "hoofers" used is as an old reference to dancers who performed on stage and toured a lot, like Fred Astaire.


I've heard feet called dogs, as in the old slang phrase, "My dogs are barking", to mean sore feet from being on them a long time. But that's an old term.

[brickhousewench.livejournal.com]

We usually use the word "Hoofers" to refer to tap dancers.

[shadoedseptmbr.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, the only slang I know for feet is 'tootsies,' but it's old fashioned.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_samalander/]

It might be a generational/regional thing, but my mother would sometimes command me to "hoof it!" when we were running late, meaning to run or hurry.

But yeah, what the others said.

Oh, and my father (again, regional/generational) will sometimes refer to someone has having "nice wheels" when they move really well- usually a football player making a good run, but I've heard it used outside of sports, too.

[latech.livejournal.com]

We also say 'our dogs are barking' when our feet are tired. Perhaps it's just in the South US though... It's strange now that I think about it. lol

[jacedesbff.livejournal.com]

Ditto on what everyone else said. My mom likes to use the term banana boats when making fun of people with big feet, but that could just be her. We don't really have a derogatory foot term, sadly. Mostly it's just derisively using inventive words to make fun of how badly someone's feet smell. Sorry I couldn't help more!

I literally just read something, though, that ill mention. :) we don't say someone's in hospital. We say they're in THE hospital. Yep, that's about the only wisdom I can provide today. Good luck with your fix! (And feet issues!)

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Can't say I have ever used that term :)

[salmastryon.livejournal.com]

I've never heard feet refered to as hoofers, but there is the expression hoofing it, which basically means you've no transportation and are going to walk.

[brickhousewench.livejournal.com]

I think it comes from the "Hush Puppies" shoe brand? Or is that a chicken-and-the-egg question? Which came first, the "Hush Puppies" shoe brand or the phrase "My dogs are barking"?

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Nope. Not used here that I've heard. Um...I'm sure tired, having just gotten off work after a long weekend on, but I can't think of a derogatory term for feet. We just say feet with adjectives attached.

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

I'll get around to replying to everyone in a sec (thanks, by the way)

But first off.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I don't even know why I find this so funny. It's the little things.

[lar_laughs.livejournal.com]

Yes! Leaving off the "the" is the sure way of knowing where a writer is from!

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

Huh. Interesting... thanks!

That's a new one on me, but from all of the other comments, a thing.

I'm starting to think that it's only in my house that feet are ever referred to as hoofers. Which... isn't that surprising. My family have a lot of idiosyncrasies.

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

This... makes me laugh a lot. In the context of the fic, the phrase now looks ridiculous and endearing.

'Get your disgusting tap dancers off my stuff.'

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

I know that one toooo! But that's more of a 'cute' one. Babies have tootsies. Clint Barton does not. :D

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

I think I just live with people that adore weird phrases. Big feet in my house are 'spades'. Or you know, gigantic hoofers.

I'm starting to think that maybe we just have too many words for feet?

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

^That one too!

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

I think everyone should start. It would make me feel better about my vocabulary choices at least :)

[brickhousewench.livejournal.com]

Hee! Excellent!

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

That might just be because you're normal.

But seriously, there should be more words for feet :)

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

I do believe that no one has ever called me that before...weird. ;P

A there should indeed.

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

See, I always got told to 'get a wriggle on', which is one of those things that makes absolutely no sense when you think about it, but I still find myself using on a regular basis.

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

Have you guys heard of English to English? It's an LJ com that isn't very active any more, but it's for fanfic writers to help one another be more accurate in their dialogue.

Here's my take. (I'm US.)

When writing the prose parts of the story, spell in your native tongue. To try to change every "color" to "colour" is just tedious and you're not likely to catch every use that needs changed. So, write the prose as you normally would, unless the phrase is glaring, like the one mentioned above. Those can be changed if needed to help the story seem more like it is set where it's supposed to be.

But the dialogue? That matters. Clint would not call "chips" "crisps" and the like.

I write in several fandoms from the UK (most notably Being Human and Sherlock and less so Harry Potter) in which the characters must sound like themselves. I try very hard to make that happen. Thus, when I am unsure if a forty-year-old man would use the term "stroppy," I ask a British friend. I'm pretty darn fluent in Brit, as I write a bit for a UK magazine (fortunately, my editor lets me write in Yank and changes it for me), but just a year or so ago, I had to correct "clerk" for "cashier," and "store" for "shop" still slips through sometimes. Fortunately, my readers know to PM me and help me fix such things.

Because it does matter. It's not a big deal sometimes, and for a very good fic, it's just a distraction, but sometimes it just pulls me out of a story too much when a character doesn't speak like they should.

It's like Joss said in the commentary: "I'm an atheist, but Steve Rogers isn't." I'm American, but Harry Potter isn't. Just as I don't speak like Malcolm Reynolds (much), he doesn't talk like a Yank.

But I digress and I'm rambling. I should get to bed.

Fun post, this. I enjoy these types of discussions.

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

Really?! I thought it was just people from my small part of Blighty that did that in everyday speech as opposed to writing...

Like, they'll say 'Are you going shop?' missing out 'to the' altogether. This generally makes them look stupid and is how other British people can tell where I'm from. FOR SHAME.

Nah. It's cool. I don't mind.

[shanynde.livejournal.com]

that's where I've heard it. Donald O'Conner (Cosmo in Singing in the Rain) was one. It means that you dance more with your lower body and have less control on your upper body.

[selenityshiroi.livejournal.com]

The only slang for feet I can think of is 'clodhoppers' but I'm British so it doesn't count!

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

*sighs* We have the best words.

[toscaterrier.livejournal.com]

Rural west coast here and I've heard them called 'hooves' but never hoofers. Also 'puppies' on occasion, though that's less derogatory than sort of affectionate. Like "Watch where you're putting those puppies!"

[jacedesbff.livejournal.com]

True all around. :)

[ms-midwest.livejournal.com]

No, I can say as an American that is not a term I've heard.

[xcziel.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥ everything in this comment!

All the little things: lift/elevator, flat/apartment, mad/crazy, at school/ in school, at university/in college, in hospital/^in the hospital, pants/underwear, trousers/pants, top/shirt (for guys), jumper/sweater, pub/bar, etc. etc. They can knock you right out of a fic if they take you by surprise.

The only thing more confusing is that Americans sometimes will jokingly use Britishisms for fun (hipsters, word nerds like me) and you have to decide if that character would actually use that reference, or if it's an author oversight. Because, hey, there are a lot of smart, witty characters in this fandom and some of them like to talk the fancy talk!

Speaking to the actual topic: I think you could just say something like "Clint, get your huge, dirty hooves off the table!" and everyone would totally get it. ;D

[justascrewup2.livejournal.com]

Um, not really, no. I have used the phrase 'hoofing it' to describe a long walk, but never in reference to just feet.

[sgteam14283.livejournal.com]

ditto for what everyone else has said. And since seeing Lord of the Rings, whenever I see that someone has really big feet I joke that they have "Hobbit feet" (silly, but that's nerd humor for you)

[jackwabbit.livejournal.com]

:D

Valid point on using Britisms occasionally. I'm not sure on which characters might do so in this fandom. I'd have to think about it. But I use them fairly often, so it does happen.

And yes, hooves would work in this setting.

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

I just sat watching your icon and nodding at it for the last five minutes.

And yup. I think hooves is the way to go. :D

[im-ridiculous.livejournal.com]

.....and lo she did post on be_compromised, and verily, TA DAAAA!!! legitimate sample size. :D

Also, 'clodhoppers' for the win. But for this fic, you might just have to go with 'feet'. How does the english language and all its various forms not have more slang words for feet? This is truly bizarre.
(Also, I owe you an email - I'm on it :D)

[anillogicalmind.livejournal.com]

*does a happy dance*

Nah, it's seriously an issue that we don't have more words for feet. WE NEED MORE WORDS. :)